| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The command begins with the direct address ve’atah {וְאַתָּה | wə-ʾattāh} ‘and you’, immediately followed by the Piel imperfect teva’er {תְּבַעֵ֛ר | tə-ḇa-ʿēr} ‘you shall purge’, which conveys intensive action. The noun–adjective sequence ha-dām ha-nā-qî {הַדָּ֥ם הַנָּקִ֖י | ha-dām ha-nā-qî} ‘the innocent blood’ specifies wrongful shedding. The prepositional phrase mī-qir-bé-kha {מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ | mī-qir-bé-kha} ‘from your midst’ locates the command within the community. The conjunction kî {כִּֽי־ | kî} introduces a causal clause with ta‘ăsêh ha-yā-šār {תַעֲשֶׂה הַיָּשָׁר | ta-ʿă-sêh ha-yā-šār} ‘you will do what is right’, linking obedience to outcome. Finally, the perspective clause be-‘ê-nê Yahweh {בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה | bə-ʿê-nê Yə-hō-wāh} ‘in the eyes of the LORD’ establishes the divine standard. This structure emphasizes legal rationale and covenantal accountability. |